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Grant Programs

The Trailblazer Award funds NIH-defined New and Early Stage Investigators using an enhanced R21 Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant mechanism that provides $400,000 in direct costs over three years. A Trailblazer project may be exploratory, developmental, proof of concept, or high risk-high impact. Applicants are expected to propose research approaches for which there are minimal or no preliminary data.

Applicants planning to submit a BRP application to the NIBIB with direct costs of $500,000 or more are reminded that they must submit a white paper (see templates below) and seek written agreement from the NIBIB staff at least 6 weeks prior to the application receipt date. Applicants are encouraged to contact the NIBIB staff well in advance of the 6 week deadline to discuss their planned application.

The NIBIB will only accept new or competing renewal BRP applications with direct costs less than $750,000 unless prior approval has been obtained from a subcommittee of senior staff. NIBIB will consider only applications that are directly relevant to the NIBIB mission.

The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) supports a large network of Biomedical Technology Resource (P41) Centers. Scientists at these Centers ensure that biomedical investigators who have NIH-supported projects may gain access to the newest and most advanced technologies, techniques, and methodologies.

The C3i Program is an entrepreneurial training course designed to provide innovators with specialized business frameworks and essential tools for successful translation of biomedical technologies from lab to market. The curriculum and customized mentoring provided by C3i are intended to enhance preparations for NIH SBIR/STTR grants.

The purpose of the IMAG is to provide an open forum for communication among government representatives to share updates on individual programs from the various IMAG agencies, and to plan trans-agency activities that will have a broad impact on the communities served by IMAG.

The Pediatric Research using Integrated Sensor Monitoring Systems (PRISMS) program was launched in 2015 to develop sensor-based, integrated health monitoring systems for measuring environmental, physiological, and behavioral factors in pediatric epidemiological studies of asthma, and eventually other chronic diseases.

The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) created the Point-of-Care Technologies Research Network (POCTRN) in 2007. POCTRN’s purpose is to drive the development of appropriate point-of-care diagnostic technologies through collaborative efforts that merge scientific and technological capabilities with clinical need.

The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) established the Quantum Grants Program to make a profound (quantum) impact on the prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of a major disease or national public health problem through the development and implementation of biomedical technologies, within 10 years.

Common Grant Mechanisms Supported by NIBIB

Academic Research Enhancement Awards (AREA) support biomedical research projects conducted by faculty in academic institutions that have not been major recipients of NIH research awards. These grants are intended to create a research opportunity for scientists and institutions otherwise unlikely to participate extensively in NIH programs to support the Nation’s biomedical research effort.

The NIBIB Exploratory/Development (R21) Grant is intended to support innovative, high impact research projects that would 1) generate pilot data to assess the feasibility of a novel avenue of investigation; 2) involve high risk experiments that could lead to a breakthrough in the field of biomedical imaging and/or bioengineering; or 3) demonstrate the feasibility of new technologies that could have a major impact in a specific area.

NIBIB provides support for investigator-initiated conference and scientific meetings that fall within its research focus in Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. A scientific meeting is defined as a gathering, symposium, seminar, conference, workshop, or any other organized, formal meeting to coordinate, exchange, and disseminate information or to explore or clarify a defined subject, problem, or area of knowledge.

The Research Project Grant (R01) is the original and historically oldest grant mechanism used by NIH. The R01 provides support for health-related research and development based on the mission of the NIH. R01s can be investigator-initiated or can be in response to a program announcement or request for application.

Applicants planning to submit a R01 application to the NIBIB with direct costs of $500,000 or more are reminded that they must submit a white paper (see templates below) and seek written agreement from the NIBIB staff at least 6 weeks prior to the application receipt date. Applicants are encouraged to contact the NIBIB staff well in advance of the 6 week deadline to discuss their planned application.

Small grants provide research support, specifically limited in time and amount, for activities such as pilot projects, testing of new techniques, or feasibility studies of innovative, high-risk research, which would provide a basis for more extended research.

Special Consideration

A major focus of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) since its inception has been the bridging and integration of the life and physical sciences. Over the past few years, this focus has been enforced by Congressional language (e.g., Report Language accompanying the House FY 2004 Appropriations Bill) and has culminated in a recent "Conference on Research at the Interface of the Life and Physical Sciences: Bridging the Sciences."

To address the potential interruption in funding for the first renewal of a new investigator's first R01 grant, the NIBIB has established a bridge funding policy for applications that are close to the funding payline.

The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) supports the development of novel technologies and the translation of those technologies into applications for the benefit of public health. To be relevant and efficient, this effort requires cooperation and collaboration among scientific disciplines and biomedical organizations.

Many members of the extramural community have voiced the concern that NIH peer review and funding practices often tend to favor the more conservative research endeavors proposed by the applicant community. The NIBIB, in keeping with its strategic plan, announces its intent to have a visible impact in addressing this concern.